Friends?
by radiant garden
Summary: I had been warned that the she wolf was a... bitch- for lack of a better word. Personally, I find the only female wolf among a male tribe interesting. After all, I'm the only male hybrid. Who knows, maybe it's possible we could be friends... if she doesn't eat me.


**Friends?**

I ran my hands over the wood of the cross. I had never seen such a large carving before. In our jungle back home, I had a hole in a tree that kept small figurines that I had… _purchased_ in one of my ventures into the mortal world. It seemed so strange that humans would spend hours working fine little details into a stick with a knife but the end result was beautiful. It's hard to imagine someone working over a large portion—or what these northerners think is large—of a tree for years just to have a cross.

Footsteps sounded behind me but I ignored them. I let my fingers trace the groves worked into the wood before me.

"Trying to tell how old the tree was Leech Freak?"

I turned around to see one of the wolves behind me. It was the female one—Leah. I had been warned that it would probably be safer to avoid the she wolf. I had been told that she gave a new meaning to the word—what was it again?—bitch. Personally, I felt a little sorry for her. I do not know what made her—in the words of the wolf Quil—a bitter harpy but I do know what to feels like to be a freak. I am the freak of my own kind. Renessmee was another non-venomous hybrid just like my sisters. Although she is the only one of use five who is gifted, I'm still the only male in a world of females. I can understand her pain of being a female in a world of males.

"No," I reply to her carefully. I don't wish to anger her and see her in a bad mood. From the talk I received before, this was her happy side. "I was admiring the workmanship. It's very well made. I've only ever seen the small carvings people sell on the street."

"It's just a dead tree." I had to give her some props for that. It _was_ a dead tree. The thing is, it wasn't just a dead tree to me. I saw the pride and glory of the craver's fruits of effort.

"Whatever you speak," I replied absently and turned to look down the hall. The whole house was filled with things to look at. Sometimes one of the Cullens would pass and tell the story behind the artifacts. He found the Volturi painting highly ironic for this reason and I had noticed that since Carlisle told him about it, the painting had moved to place of shame where it was hard to see.

"Say."

I turned back around to look at the she wolf. "Say?"

"The phrase is 'whatever you say,' stupid." Her arms were crossed over her breast as she glared at me. Was mastering American slang really that important? It was amazing how much I mastered of this changing language from complaining tourist. From what I gathered from Alice and Jasper on the way to Forks, I was more fluent in swearing in English than I was communicating in English.

I give her a small smile and shrug my shoulders. "Whatever you say," I reply in a cheerful tone. I can see the glare change from dislike to hatred. So much for keeping her happy. Maybe I deserved it just a little. I did throw her words back at her.

Her shoulders started shaking as she tried to fight the urge to phase and maul me. It would be interesting to see who was faster. The only she wolf between either wolf packs or the only male hybrid. Probably her seeing how they were made for hunting vampires and Huilen was much faster than me. Maybe I should move somewhere she'd be less inclined to destroy. Too bad this was a vampire house and word was she was the number one hater of anything remotely close to being vampire.

Suddenly she stopped shaking and seemed to relax. Then I felt the wave of calm move over me as Jasper walked up the stairs. The blond vampire looked between Leah and me before settling his gaze on Leah. "Jacob wants you," he informed her quietly.

Leah's response was a rude hand jester before stomping down the stairs.

Jasper returned his gaze to me. "Jacob says you owe him one."

I sighed to myself and looked to the heavens. "I was handling it."

"Edward disagrees."

Damn. It was hard to top a mind reader in this kind of situation. What was Leah thinking about? How to best marinate my organs and feast upon them? Maybe I should avoid her. I rather like having this life despite how monstrous it is.

"Alice says there are some clothes for you in the bathroom. Bella doesn't want Charlie to freak out when he comes to see Nessie," Jasper added. I look down at my attire. Such clothing is normal for a jungle. The jeans and jackets the northerners wear look strange and uncomfortable to me but I guess it's better than scaring a human for walking about mostly naked in the snow.

"Alright," I tell him and start to make my way towards the bathroom to change.

"Edward also says that if you want to talk to Leah, you should find something she likes."

I turned to Jasper with a confused expression. Something she likes? What did a screaming banshee like? Ground up bones and toxic waste? "What does she like?"

"No idea."

Well that wasn't very helpful.


End file.
